Where All These Kisses Lead: A Journey to Forever
by brandtfan
Summary: Through adventures and a few antics, Maxwell Sheffield is realizing his love for his nanny. He is a true gentleman, however. He knows he can't persue her for their sake, and for the children's sake until he's sure he can take her where all these kisses lead; a long, loving life raising their family together as husband and wife. Elements of the whole family, emphasis on Fran and Max
1. Chapter 1: Deals and Delusions

**A/N: I've written a few fanfics, but this is the first time I'm actually publishing one, so I'd love some good honest reviews. It's set somewhere after Season 3, although I kind of pull different inspirations from different places of the entire series. I'm not sure how long it's going to be yet, we'll see as different story lines come to me I guess. Hope you enjoy it, and I really would love the reviews. Thanks :)**

**Chapter 1: Deals and Delusions**

"Miss Fine!" She heard the voice, and grabbed her TV Guide and headed up the stairs. "Hold it, RIGHT there young lady!" Mr. Sheffield popped his head into the living room from the hall.

Thinking quickly, she turned on her heels and swaggered towards him. "You know, Mr. Sheffield, everyone says _my _voice carries around this house, and meanwhile I just heard yours from half way up the stairs."

"Yes, well, there's a slight difference between yours and mine," he began.

"Oh, you mean besides the fact that yours has that thick, debonair, British tone to it?" She thought she'd pucker up as much as she could, preparing for what she was about to get yelled at for.

"Oh no, there's no point in trying to sweet talk me, it won't-"

"Wait, did you say _young_ lady?" she smiled, interrupting him. "You know, when you compliment me in that sexy British accent of yours, I just don't know if I could say no to anything you ask." she winked and smiled that bright, elusive grin they both knew so well.

"Uh..anything?" his smile got a little bigger before he came back to Earth. "Miss Fine!" he cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "I believe you owe me an explanation, after yesterday's shenanigans."

"Yesterday? Uh.., yesterday...You know, I sometimes wonder what would've happened if Lennon and McCartney had never split." she pretended not to know what he was talking about. She looked at her boss of almost four years, and was about to turn on the water works as a plan B when he spoke again.

"Well, let's see, shall we," he began. "First, you told one of my investors to go spend her money elsewhere,"

"Hey," she threw her hands on her hips. "I only told her about the blow out sale at Loehmann's, how was I to know a big fancy shmancy business woman like her would shop there?"

"Yes, and then there was the missing food from the bake sale at Grace's school," He continued.

Again, she interjected. "What, like I knew my mother was gonna be at a brunch a few blocks from the school? You know she has a bloodhound's nose." Fran said defensively.

"And that brings us to the grand finale, the very reason I am here, and Andrew bloody Lloyd Webber is closing a deal to produce what the theatre society is calling 'the next theatre smash' _right _now."

"Oh, Mr. Sheffield, you're such a negative Ned," He cast Fran a quizzical look as she continued. "The deal is closing in Paris, and there are a lot of restaurants to choose from, so he's probably taking a long time to decide what to get for lunch. So, he probably hasn't signed anything yet." She smiled, still trying to change the subject. "You know, Mr. Sheffield, I think that if you're going to bring my mother into this, you might as well say something nice. No harm can be done by complimenting someone." She was really just stalling, hoping she'd figure out a way to get out of being in trouble. "Meanwhile, if it wasn't for the Atlantic, I bet Ma could tell us what he's having for lunch!"

"Okay," he put down the mail he'd picked up to browse as soon as she started talking about her mother. "Enough is enough, Miss Fine. Spit it out, I want it all, and we're not moving from this spot until you give it to me!"

Niles was coming downstairs just as Mr. Sheffield finished his sentence. "Oh, where's Miss Babcock when you need her." he said, stopping as soon as his feet hit the ground floor. He looked up at his boss and his best friend, who were looking back at him. "Sir, I think I need to go to the hospital. I'm delirious, saying such nonsensical things, tossing words around like that."

Mr. Sheffield cast his faithful butler a look, saying he knew was being facetious. "Go ahead old man." He patted Niles on the back, playing along a little.

"Thank you sir," Niles headed to the closet to get his coat as the phone rang.

Mr. Sheffield answered it, giving Fran the opportunity to lean over to Niles. "Meanwhile, would it kill him to _really _mean what he says to me about giving it to him right here and now?"

They both laughed as Fran helped him with his coat. "So where ya really going?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm just running to the market. Papa needs a new pair of scouring pads." He opened the door. "I'll bring you back some of those little squares from that bakery around the corner you like so much. Would you like the chocolate ones, or the vanilla cream?"

Fran looked him up and down. "Niles, how long have you known me?"

Niles sighed. "Oh, now see, there I go, having those delusions again."

They both smiled and said "Both!" He waved goodbye and headed out as they both laughed.

Fran turned back just to see her boss hanging up the phone. "So who was that?" She thought she'd try again to change the subject of the conversation.

"Oh, it wasn't anyone important." He started, calmly before raising his voice, eventually crescendoing to a yell. "Just my playwright's lawyer, letting me know that the deal is closed, it's official!" He continued to scour at her as he had before the phone rang.

"Oh, now Mr. Sheffield, maybe it's too early to see, but this could be a good thing, in the long run, couldn't it?" She was slowly backing towards the stairs.

"In the long run, eh Miss Fine? That's an interesting choice of words, since we're talking about a play, which I will _not _be producing, that is guaranteed to have a LONG RUN on Broadway!" He was inching closer and closer just as the doorbell rang.


	2. Chapter 2: Squares and Saving Graces

"I'll get it!" she yelled, even though no one was home but the two of them. She was happy for any excuse to squeeze out of his figurative grasp. "Oh, hi Ma!" Fran opened the door excitedly. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, darling." they hugged and Fran took her coat for her.

"Sylvia," Mr. Sheffield greeted her. "Forgive us, but we are right in the middle of something here."

"Oh, well I wouldn't want to intrude on a lover's quarrel, but I promised my neighbour I'd get her son an audition for your next play." Sylvia sat down on the couch and started munching on the platter on the table in front of her.

"Ah, well, I um, have some very important business to attend to in the study, you two have a nice visit." He talked as quickly as he walked towards the hallway to get to his office. Not before pausing and turning back to Fran, however. "Miss Fine, this conversation is not finished," he gave her a stern look, and then disappeared into his office.

When he was out of earshot, Fran bounced over to her mother. "Ahh! Thanks Ma, you couldn't have come in at a better time!"

"Well dear, I've seen enough of those looks between the two of you to know when you need to get out of something." She said, with a mouthful of food.

"Ma, what look?" Fran asked, puzzled. "I don't think we have a 'look'." She added, a bit defensively.

Sylvia took another bite. "You know the one, dear. The look that says, 'I'm mad at you right now, but really it doesn't matter because I'm madly in love with you'."

Fran's expression changed instantly as she sat down too. "I know exactly what you mean." She too grabbed a sandwich and took a big bite.

"Oh, darling. I just feel awful about yesterday," Sylvia continued to browse through the platter of finger sandwiches. "Last night, I was so worried I almost couldn't eat the 7 layer lasagna Aunt Freida prepared."

Fran started munching on a sandwich as well. "Ma, there's no use in making yourself sick over it, I mean it's a $14.000 a year private school, do they really need to have bake sales to raise money anyway?"

"Oh, I didn't dear. I said, _almost _couldn't eat it." Sylvia put another sandwich in her mouth. "Strangely, the other four courses after that went down just fine." She patted a napkin around her mouth. "Where's Niles? You know dear, this salmon's a little dry, I could use a tea."

Fran just looked at her mother for a few moments, wondering and hoping that she wasn't looking at a crystal ball twenty odd years into the future.

"I mean, the man makes an exquisite Mesquite barbeque Salmon, who would think a little sandwich would be his Achilles heel?" Nevertheless, Sylvia polished off yet another mini sandwich.

"Ma!" Fran snapped out of her glimpse into the future. "He had to go to the market. And don't say that about Niles," she cast her mother a disapproving look. "e You know he misses Miss Babcock, cut him a little slack. I mean, who could've predicted that the Ice Queen herself would actually end up agreeing to spend a month away from Mr. Sheffield, let alone in Arizona."

"Arizona?" her mother asked, curious.

"Yeah, she went for her high school reunion, and ended up reconnecting with her high school boyfriend, so she decided to stay for a few weeks. It's really sweet, actually." Fran explained.

"Frannie, you're right. I'm sorry." Her mother continued. "I can see why Niles is upset. I would be too if I saw someone like her being happy with someone else while I was still all alone."

"Thanks, Ma." Fran said sarcastically. She never grew tired of hearing her mother remind her, even in a backhanded way that she was all alone.

Sylvia, oblivious, just kept talking, and eating. "I guess I'm feeling a little down, I really shouldn't take it out on Niles." She smiled, and then her face turned a little sour once again. "Of course, that is unless he-"

"He's bringing back both kinds of squares, Ma." Fran rolled her eyes at her mother and stood up to see if Mr. Sheffield's office door was closed. "Now, we gotta get serious here, Mr. Sheffield has somehow decided him losing this play is all my fault."

"Is that the one that nice Jewish newspaper editor said would be as successful as Cats?" Sylvia asked, standing up.

Fran shot her mother a disgruntled look. "Yes, Ma. Thank you, for the reminder. Now how can I fix this?"

"Well, he seemed like a nice man, don't you think?" She walked over to the drink cart by the piano and poured herself a glass of water. "He's not a doctor, but he's got a mansion, that's close enough."

"Is there _any _situation you won't see as a potential matchmaking opportunity for me Ma?" Fran shook her head as her mother downed the water.

"Darling, you're over thirty, and practically work as a maid. The line of men waiting is only going to get shorter as time goes on." Sylvia put her empty glass back down on the tray. "Fran, I'm saying you could do much worse. This man is a rich, powerful player in show business.

Fran leaned in to her mother to speak in a quieter voice. "Newsflash Ma, I already have one of those," she pointed towards the closed door of Mr. Sheffield's office.

"Meanwhile, when is he going to notice he has a gorgeous woman here waiting for him?" Sylvia knew she'd made her point with Fran. "Think about it dear, you get this guy to ask you out, you schmooze, you flirt, and who knows? Maybe he'll find another hit play, and you can make sure Mr. Sheffield produces it this time."

"Ma!" Fran hugged her mother. "That's perfect!"

"No, perfect would be your fall wedding, with his side paying for the food." she smiled at her daughter. "I better be going, you know how your father gets when I'm not home to wash his feet when he gets home from bowling with your Uncle Stanley."

Fran involuntarily shuddered at the mental image her mother gave her, and then walked her to the door. "I have an even better idea," she was about to explain it when Niles walked in with a plastic bag and two little bakery boxes in his hands.

"Oh, hello Sylvia. On your way out?" Niles greeted her as he handed her the bakery boxes so he could take his coat off.

"Yes I am, and it was so nice of you to buy me these squares for the ride home Niles." She waved with her back to Fran and continued right out the door with the boxes. "Love you!" she shouted back as she went out the door that was still open from Niles coming in.


	3. Chapter 3: Fighting and Fears

"Niles, can you believe her?" Fran asked him, chuckling as they both entered the hall by the stairs to go to the kitchen.

"What I can't believe is that you let her walk out the door with your squares," Niles replied as they walked through the dining room and into the kitchen.

"Oh, no, I don't mind her taking the squares with her. She has to take the bus to Yetta's, and then they are heading to my cousin Marsha's for coffee after getting their hair done. She needs all the anxiety relief she can get." He smiled. "I was talking about her idea, to get the newspaper editor to go out with me, so I can flirt with him and get him to help Mr. Sheffield with another play."

"Well, that's a nice thought," Niles commented. "It's very selfless of you to be willing to do that for Mr. Sheffield," he finished.

"Well, it's not all for him." Fran conceded. "If I'm lucky, Mr. Sheffield will get jealous, seeing me with another handsome, rich, powerful man in show business."

"You think that will work?" Niles asked, as he started chopping vegetables for dinner.

"Oh, I hope so. It's not a sure thing, but a girl can dream, right?" Niles smiled. "Not going after my mother, carrying two boxes of chocolates? Now, that's a no brainer! It'd be a death wish to try getting them from her. I'd like to live to see Mr. Sheffield finally-"

"Niles."I'm very busy, so hold all my calls." He said to his trusty butler before looking at Fran, straight faced as could be, as he came into the kitchen grabbing some papers off the counter. He turned his attention to Niles. "The only people I want to hear from is anyone from the production people in Los Angeles." He said, turning back to Fran. "You were saying something, Miss Fine?"

"Uh…"Fran frantically searched her brain for something to say, wondering if he heard her say Mr. Sheffield', and 'finally' in the same sentence. "Um, yeah. I was just saying to Niles, I'd like to see the new Pierce Brosnan movie, it looks really good." She buried herself in the fridge door, hoping he would buy her answer.

Max stopped at the counter to think for a minute, and then headed back towards the dining room door. He paused for a second, and turned back to Fran, who closed the fridge door, thinking she was out of the woods of that fiasco.

"Well, be careful who you're talking to about that. Who knows, this time it could be Steven Spielberg sitting beside you, and with your antics, you could just be giving him the idea for his next greatest blockbuster!" he turned back and pushed through the door and was gone.

Fran plopped herself on the stool at the counter. "Oh, Niles. He seems even more mad than usual this time. What if I can't get myself out of this one?" She opened the sleeve of raw cookie dough and grabbed a spoon from the drawer. "I mean, if I keep messing things up like this, I really don't know if he'll ever come around, and realize he's-"

"Niles!" Max blew back into the kitchen just as fast as he'd left it just a minute before. "I am positively swamped tonight, so I'll be taking my dinner in the study." Once again, he looked at Fran with a stone cold face.

"Yes, sir." Niles responded quickly.

Pushing past the cold she felt from him, Fran piped up. "Mr. Sheffield, you're not going to eat with me and the kids tonight?" she put her spoon down and looked right into his eyes, searching for that glisten in his eyes she'd come to know and love so much. "You can't miss dinner; surely you can take a break to spend time with your kids?" She purposely left herself out of the second sentence, not wanting to rock the boat anymore.

"No, Miss Fine." He looked straight back at her, barely missing a beat. "I have to keep working on this television project, so that I at _least _have something to keep me going, since what I _thought _was going to be my next big Broadway deal evaporated into thin air yesterday." He turned and headed right back towards the dining room door.

Fran was trying not to start an argument, but she had had enough of that tone from him. She fell right in step behind him and was on his heels as they entered the dining room. "Okay, I know I screwed up, and I'm sorry," she practically yelled at him from across the table. "But can't you see that I was _just _trying to help you?!" She stood with her hands on her hips. "I just thought that if I could get Andrew Lloyd Webber's agent to see how much this deal meant to you, he would back off and let you take it."

"Help me?!" he repeated, also more or less yelling. "This is _exactly _what I am talking about!" he was definitely yelling at this point. You trying to help me with this career-defining deal," he said, leaning on the far side of the table, "is like, well," he trailed off, and then put his head down. "Frankly," he looked at her again. "I don't think there is a comparison."

"Mr. Sheffield, what are you trying to say?" she asked, even though she was starting to be afraid of what he was going to say.

"I'm saying, Miss Fine," he stood up fully and put his hands on his hips also. "That of all the crazy schemes and sideshows you've pulled over the last four years, this one has gone too far." When he finished talking, he just continued to look at her, as stone faced and cold as could be.

Fran dropped her head. She really didn't know what to say. She felt she had disappointed him so much, that she couldn't even look at him. When she finally mustered up the courage to look up, she discovered he was gone. She went back into the kitchen, dropped into a chair at the table and put her head in her hands. There was no glisten in his eyes, just a dark and cold feeling she couldn't shake. "I think I've really done it this time, Niles." She said, almost crying.


	4. Chapter 4: Boys and Big Disappointments

"Oh, Miss Fine." Niles sat down beside her. "What about your plan with the editor?"

She let out a big sigh. "I don't know if it'll matter."

Niles gave a confused look. "I'm not sure I understand what you're saying." He said.

Barely keeping the tears in, Fran explained. "His eyes, they didn't sparkle at all." She could feel the well of her eyelid was about to give way to the flood. "That's how I know I've really done it this time."

"Now, Miss Fine. I'm sure he'll come around," Niles tried consoling her.

"I really don't know this time, Niles." She said. "It doesn't matter what mess I got myself into, he still had that sparkle in his eye when he looked at me."

Niles wanted to console her. "Well, I have known that man a very long time, and I am positive he will come to his senses and apologize." Fran smiled as he stood up and went back over to the counter. "It's just a matter of time, and there's no sense in worrying yourself over it."

Fran smiled, feeling an ounce better. "Thanks, Niles."

"I think all you need," he continued, "Is a distraction." She gave him a puzzled look, and he nodded with encouragement. "You know… the chimney hasn't been cleaned out in a while, I bet that would take your mind right off of the whole situation!" He knew saying that would cheer her up.

She smiled and let out a small chuckle. "That's a good one Niles, thank you."

Niles looked back at her, straight faced. "Who made a joke?" he softened his face to a grin to let her know he was in fact, kidding.

It did make her feel a bit better, but she still couldn't help sitting there reflecting on the last few days. She didn't have too long to reflect before Maggie and Brighton came through the door, however.

"Hi kids, how was school?" she asked, knowing they would be the perfect distraction, not to mention it didn't involve having to find an outfit that went will with soot.

"Fran, the greatest thing happened today!" Maggie was clearly very excited about something.

"Wait, wait wait." Brighton interrupted his sister as she danced with excitement standing in front of Fran. "Fran, before you two get all girly and disgusting, can I go over to Kevin's? We're working on a science project."

"What kind of science project?" she asked, knowing better than to take him at face value. She had raised him, after all. "Cause if it's another one of those, 'let's leave some mushrooms in the fridge for a month and see what they look like' projects," she stood up with her hands on her hips in front of the young teenager.

"No, it's MUCH cooler than that one! We're testing which cleaning products and household remedies work best for removing the funk, and the germs from our gym shorts!" Brighton exclaimed in a spirited way.

"Ewww!" both Fran and Maggie said in unison. Fran sighed lightly. "Well, it sounds disgusting, but legitimate. Go, but be home by dark." Since Maxwell wasn't going to be around for dinner, she saw no point in forcing the kids to be there either.

"Sure, thanks Fran!" He gave her a quick half hug and headed out the door.

"I could do that experiment, I've seen enough of his filthy shorts, and I can tell you, none of those fancy cleaners work." Niles made a face to describe the smell of Brighton's shorts.

Fran smiled at him, and then looked at the door closing after Brighton. She couldn't help but think about how grown the kids are, and how independent they were becoming. She looked over at Maggie again, who looked like she was about to explode.

"Okay, what is it, honey?" What happened today?" she asked, trying to be supportive, even though she felt overwhelming sadness, fear, and guilt on the inside.

"Okay, remember the guy from the Pizza Pit, the one who always delivers here?" Maggie asked excitedly as they sat down at the table.

"Do you mean the one with the glasses who always gives us extra cheese, or the one with the great hair who usually almost forgets to get the money before he leaves?" Fran was hoping she didn't mean that one because the guy clearly wasn't great with money.

"Oh, Fran! His hair is just the beginning, his eyes are incredible too!" Maggie was talking in a slightly different way, due to the fact that she couldn't talk about him without the giant smile spread across her face. "When I look in his eyes, there's just this piercing feeling that goes through me, I can't even explain it, but I know it's something I've never felt before."

Fran could see Maggie obviously really liked this guy, and she knew all too well what she was talking about. "Oh, sweetie, that's great. But, you know a physical attraction isn't everything, have you talked to him, I mean really talked?"

"Oh, that's the best part, he's so cool to talk to." Maggie beamed some more. "Yesterday, I was leaving the library after lunch, and-"

"And by library, you mean the hall outside the boys locker room where all the girls hang out after boys baseball practice," Fran didn't miss a beat. She raised these kids, and she knew them better than anyone else.

Maggie just giggled. "Yeah." She giggled a bit more, and then regained her composure to finish what she was saying. "So, we're standing there, and out he walks. He comes over to me and says, 'hey, large pepperoni with bacon and mushrooms, right?' Maggie giggled once again, but this time Fran joined her a little bit. "So, I said yeah, and he said this really funny joke about two pepperonis and a mushroom, and then-"

"Margaret, I'm glad you're home. Grace needs to be picked up in an hour." Once again, Tropical Depression Maxwell had blown into the room. This time it was to refill his coffee cup.

Maggie looked at Fran, who just looked down at the table. "Dad, that film festival is tonight, remember I asked you last week if I could go?"

"Right." He took a big gulp of coffee. "Where's Brighton?"

"At Kevin's house, they're working on a science project." Fran explained, even though she really didn't want to talk to him.

Mr. Sheffield took a second to remember which friend was Kevin. "Oh. We're not going to have another mushroom disaster are we?"

As much as Fran was still too angry to speak to her boss, she saw no point in making him any angrier than he already was. "No," she replied, a little defensively. "I talked to him about the project, and made sure it was a real project this time."

"Good." He walked around the counter to the table where Maggie and Fran were sitting. "Miss Fine, can you go pick Grace up then?" At first, she was a little confused as to why she, the nanny, was the third choice to go pick up one of the children, who she is in charge of. "Miss Fine, I don't have all day to wait for an answer, I could bloody well get her myself if it's going to take you this long to get with it."

"Yes, yes I can go pick Gracie up, Mr. Sheffield." She replied, still calmly, without looking up at him.

"Thank you." He said, once again, straight faced, with no emotion whatsoever in his voice. He turned back towards the dining room. However, Fran wasn't going to let him run out like that again. She was a prideful woman, and it didn't take her long to snap out of the miserable state he'd put her in with their last conversation.

"What I'd like to know," she said, standing up to be eye to eye with him, "Is why I was the third choice to go pick her up, when it's supposed to be my job in the first place?" she stood with her hands on her hips.

At first, Max stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around to face her. He put his hand up to his forehead, and then turned around. "Margaret, can you give Miss Fine and I a moment please." He still didn't look at her.

"Sure, daddy." Maggie stood up, gave Fran a little arm squeeze hug. "I'll tell you the rest later Fran." Fran nodded. Maggie kissed her dad on the cheek as she walked past him and through the dining room.

"Niles." Was all he said, and Niles put down his knife, nodded, and went upstairs. "Miss Fine, sit down, please." Max finally looker at her, and then motioned to the table.

They sat down, and Fran did everything she could not to look at him. "The reason I didn't ask you first, or second, is because of where Grace is this afternoon." Fran still didn't look at him; she just sat there looking at her hands. Max sighed. "She's playing chess with a famous actor's daughter, and well, we didn't want a repeat of the last time she had a chess play date.

Hearing this, Fran would normally be automatically jumping up to explain herself, as she had done with the chess play date he was referring to. Surely, the nephew of the President of the United States ending up covered in tomato sauce was not her fault!

This time, however, she just couldn't bring herself to talk about it. Before she knew it, Fran couldn't stop herself from crying. And then the unexpected happened, it all just came flowing out. "Mr. Sheffield, I wish there was something I could do to make it up to you, I can't tell you enough how sorry I am."

He sat there, resisting the automatic habit of rubbing her back and letting her lean her head on his shoulder. "Yes, well, at least we know it won't be happening again," he said, referring to the fact that the Clintons from next door had moved a few weeks previous.

Fran wasn't really listening by that point, though. She was too consumed still thinking about how much she had disappointed Max. Suddenly it hit her. This was it. He was about to fire her.


	5. Chapter 5: Forgiveness and Family Crisis

Max sighed a deep, heavy sigh. "Miss Fine. Look, you've been a part of this household for four years now, and you've done wonderful things with the children, but-"

earinHearing that, specifically the 'but', she completely tuned him out. This _was _it. She was about to be fired. She wanted to leave right then and there to save herself the humiliation, but she just couldn't move. Three years, and this is what it came down to. "Miss Fine?" Fran snapped out of it pretty quickly when Mr. Sheffield placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Fine, can you forgive me?" She was still quiet. _Forgive you for dismissing me, putting me out like a piece of garbage, after I spend almost four years, raising, and loving your children, and then falling in loving with you? _She just kept searching her mind, trying to figure out how this could be happening.

At this point, Fran was beyond even tears. She just sat there, until he spoke again. "Miss Fine, you're starting to scare me here."

At first, Fran really didn't know what to say; since she really hadn't heard anything he'd said in the first place. But, it only took a moment for her to have enough clarity to decide what to do. She wasn't going to sit there and take this from him. There was no way Fran Fine was going to be put out like a piece of garbage and expected to act like it didn't have an impact on their personal relationship too. Regardless of what level of personal relationship he felt they had, even if it was less than what Fran thought it was, she knew he still wasn't right treating her the way he was in that moment. Taking in a deep breath, Fran was about to stand up to leave when she looked at his eyes. Instantly, she was relieved she hadn't stood up because if she had, Fran knew she would have fallen over after finally looking him in the eyes. There was that spark again! She looked as deeply as she could into his dark, caring eyes. She realized very quickly that she didn't want to say anything besides "Yes, yes." To whatever question he was asking her, even though she didn't know what it was. It could have been a proposal for all she knew, and her mother would never let her live it down if she had said no to that!

"Good, so we're clear." Fran heard Mr. Sheffield say as he stood up, and without really knowing why, she did too. "Come here," he opened his arms, and she slid into his arms, like she had done so many times before. This one felt different to her, though. She thought of her conversation with Maggie about not being able to explain what you're feeling just a little while earlier.

"Although I'm not always sure it's a good thing," he chuckled as he let go just enough to look into her eyes, "I really have no idea what I'd do without you in my life," He kissed her forehead, rubbed her back one last time, then let go and smiled at Fran as he headed back to his study.

Fran wasn't sure what had just happened. She stood there in the kitchen for a few minutes trying to make sense of it, trying to piece together what Mr. Sheffield could have possibly said. Realizing there was a way to find out without having him find out she wasn't listening, she walked towards the back staircase.

"Niles, you get all that?" She spoke into the intercom, knowing that Niles had very likely heard the whole conversation. He didn't answer her, however. "Niles, are you there?" she asked again.

"Sorry, Miss Fine." Niles came through the dining room door with the phone in hand. "I was answering the phone. I only heard little bits, mostly just the apology parts." He said as he put a kettle on the stove for tea.

Fran frowned. She studied the disgruntled look on Niles' face. "It wasn't Miss Babcock on the phone, was it?" she asked, with a small smirk.

"No, just some television executive, badgering Mr. Sheffield about that pilot again." Niles slumped into a chair, resting his chin on his hands.

"Aww, Niles. I know you feel like you lost her forever, but she'll be back in a couple weeks." Fran put her hand on her friends shoulder.

"Oh, Miss Fine," he turned towards her in the chair. "Are you implying I could actually _miss _the old bird?" Niles got a devilish look on his face. "Come to think of it, if there is some of that turkey left from Thanksgiving, I really should throw it out. Thanksgiving was two weeks ago." He got up when he heard the tea pot start to whistle. "It's so old, shrivelled and dried up."

"Nah, my mother was here for breakfast a few days ago, remember? There's no dryness in a meat that a little gravy won't fix, she always says." Fran went around the cupboards where the cups were stored.

"I was talking about Miss Babcock." Niles said, so proud of himself.

Fran smiled. "Yes, you do miss her, and you are lost without her." She grabbed two coffee cups, grabbed a muffin, and sat down next to Niles. "I'll tell ya, the way you two carry on, pretending like you don't like each other, when in reality, you know you both want to jump each other's bones."

Niles cast her a look as she took a big bite of muffin. "Miss Fine, I think maybe you need to see a doctor about your delusions too." He smiled.

"Nah," she said, still chewing her muffin. "It's completely different with me and Mr. Sheffield." She added, finishing her bite.

"Oh?" he asked, getting up to get the whistling pot from the stove. "How so?"  
"With me and him," Fran replied without missing a beat. "_One _of us already knows how we feel."

Niles smiled, pouring the water for their teas and then sitting back down. "So are you going to call that editor and get that date then?" he asked, making sure the conversation stayed off of his feelings for C.C.

Fran's smile turned into a bit of a frown. "I'm starting to think it might be a bad idea."

"Oh, Miss Fine." Niles consoled her. "That's never stopped you before," he teased.

She gave him a look. "Thanks for the encouragement," she said sarcastically. "But I'm really schfitzing over this Niles. What if I do go out with the guy and that very act puts Mr. Sheffield over the edge, and he really does fire me? Then what do I do?" Niles didn't know what to say, so he just put his hand on his friends and gave her a small hug.

They were both looking into their tea cups as Maggie walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Fran." she smiled. "I'm off for the film festival, but I'll be home around eleven, okay?"

Fran smiled. "Sure, honey." They hugged. "I wish we would've had more time to talk about it, but you can tell me everything when you get home."

Maggie smiled. "Oh, I will!" she opened the door. "Thanks again for being so cool about this. It's so awesome to have someone here who gets me, and gets that I need to have a life. And, do stuff like go out with my friends, and go on dates. I mean, what kind of life would it be if I just sat around the house all day, waiting for Dad to tell me what to do?" She went back to the table and kissed Fran on the cheek. "I love you, Fran!" she bounced back to the door and left.  
"Aww, I love you too honey." She smiled as the door closed. Fran sighed. The quick conversation with Maggie was just what she needed. She couldn't help but reflect on how much she learned from the kids, probably just as much as they learned from her. Fran wouldn't allow herself to think about not being a part of their daily lives anymore, even though she knew it could be a possibility in the not so distant future. She sighed again and looked at Niles. "I know what I have to do." Knowing what she was going to say, Niles went to pick up the phone to hand it to Fran.

"Thanks," she said, taking it. "But how do I get his number, without asking Mr. Sheffield for it?"

"Oh," Niles said, putting the dish rag he had in his hands into his mouth, as a way to stifle his frustration. Taking it out, he sighed heavily. "If only Miss Babcock was here, I'd say look in her black book, it's full of numbers from men she's tried to buy affection from."

"Hey now," Fran said defensively, putting her hands on her hips. Considering, the very reason she needed the number was for her personal gain, not unlike Miss Babcock's choices. "Niles, I completely get that your hobby is gone, but do ya need to start picking on me as a substitute?" she gave him a little grin to show she wasn't really taking offense to it. What he'd said was a true statement, after all.

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Fine, I couldn't help myself. I knew it wouldn't feel as good without her standing her, but it slipped out." He shook his head. "Can I make it up to you, by finding that phone number, perhaps?"

Fran smiled, and nodded. A little while later, Fran was in a much better mood. She had called the editor, and he said he'd love to go out with her the following night. Although, she still had some worrisome feelings in her conscience she was trying to crush. She sat at the table enjoying some cookies, trying to take her mind off the whole situation.

As she finished her last cookie, Fran wondered what she'd do now to keep herself distracted. There was a cake in the fridge, but before she could get up she heard the phone ring and looked at Niles to see who it was.

"It's for you," he handed her the phone and went back about his business in the kitchen.

"Yello?" she said in the phone. "Oh, hi Daddy!" Fran greeted him. She was happy to hear her father's voice; it was a nice break from what she'd been dealing with lately. Or so she thought. "Okay, Daddy, you gotta talk a little slower, I can't understand you," she turned to look at Niles who was listening intently. "Oh, oh?" she started to get a worried look on her face. "Wait, missing? What do you mean missing, Daddy?" Upon hearing that Niles went over to where Fran was sitting at the table. "Oh, oh no!" Fran stood up, and moved the phone away from her ear a little bit to talk to Niles. "Niles! My father says Ma and Grandma Yetta are missing!" She reached out and grabbed Niles' arm, and he obliged by holding her hand. "Okay, Daddy, I'll do that. Okay, talk to you then, okay. I love you! Bye." Fran hung up the phone, and looked at her best friend.

"Missing?" Niles repeated. "How does he know they are missing, instead of just out somewhere?"

"Because," Fran turned to face him. "They didn't show up for their appointments at The Chatterbox this afternoon." Niles gasped, now fully understanding the seriousness of the situation.


	6. Chapter 6: First Names and Fanny Packs

**I hope everyone's enjoying it so far :) There will be more Niles and C.C. to come for anyone wondering! Thanks again for reading and please review :)**

* * *

"I have to call Val, and everyone else we know. My father is calling everyone at temple, and all our relatives, someone will know where they are, right?" She was trying to keep calm, but so far it wasn't going so well.

"Is there anything I can do?" Niles asked, taking his apron off. "Should I get Mr. Sheffield?"

Fran thought about that for a minute. But it wasn't _if _she wanted him there that was the question. Everything was just so mixed up, she really had no idea whether she should get him, or let Niles do it. "I'll go," she said, "Niles, can you call Val? Tell her to call anyone she can think of, too."

"Of course," Niles replied, taking the phone from Fran.

"I can't do this without him," she said quietly to herself as she headed for the door. When she got to the office door, she listened for a second. Not hearing any voices, she knocked lightly. She really wanted to tread lightly, choosing not to open it before being given permission as she'd usually do.

"What is it?" A harsh voice hissed from the other side of the door. Fran didn't realize Mr. Sheffield wasn't in there alone. She paused for a moment, making sure she needed him. After a second, she realized there was no question. She needed him to turn to, to be the rock, the voice of reason. It was just one of the many levels of their relationship she had come to appreciate and enjoy.

"Mr. Sheffield, can I come in?" She asked, still not opening the door.

"Yes, Miss Fine, of course you can come in." he said, in a completely different tone than the woman who'd initially answered her.

When she opened the door, she found him looking at her. He only looked for a second, however, before he whipped his glasses off and was around the desk with an arm around her.

"Oh, Maxwell, is this really important? We have so much work to do," the tall, brunette woman sitting on the couch grunted in an annoyed tone. When she finished talking, she realized that he was already around the desk and one hundred percent focused on whatever shenanigans the nanny had brought in with her.  
"Oh, Mr. Sheffield, I can't believe this," Fran winced. The fact that he knew just by her face that something was the matter was not lost on her. She knew he couldn't stand to see her upset about something. Another wonderful level of the mostly unspoken affection they had for each other.

"Miss Fine, what is it? Is it the children, is everyone okay?" his face grew more concerned by the second, much to his guest's dismay.

Fran ignored her, however. "Mr. Sheffield, it's my mother, and grandmother. My father says they're missing," before she could say anything else, she realized her cheeks were wet with tears.

"Oh, Miss Fine," he had turned her to face him completely and had wrapped his arms around her the rest of the way. "Is he sure? We shouldn't panic until we know some more details," he was holding her very tightly, and she had nestled her head right into the crook of his neck.

"They missed their appointments at The Chatterbox," she repeated as she had told Niles. "What more is there to know?" She sobbed more now, even with the secure feeling of being held so tightly by the man she loved.

"Oh, dear." Max truly didn't know what else to say. He continued to hold her so tightly, as Fran continued to sob. "Um, Samantha, could you give me a minute, please?" he turned to the woman on the couch. She got up, huffed, and went out into the hallway.

"Who's that?" Fran asked, rather frankly.

"She's a business associate, helping me work on this television idea while C.C.'s away. Since coming to our company six months ago, Samantha's been very helpful to me. I was going to do it alone, but it's great to have help also." He replied.

Fran looked at him. "You know her six months, and you're on a first name basis already?" she asked, letting go of him.

"Well," he started, not sure where he was going to go with it. He sent up a silent prayer as he saw Niles appear in the doorway. "Miss Fine, your father's on the phone." Niles handed Fran the phone. "Meanwhile, if he and I were on a first name basis, he wouldn't be doing it alone either," she huffed under her breath to Niles.

"Daddy, did you find them?" She asked, frantically as she put the phone up to her ear.

Max watched her face for some kind of explanation. He happened to glance up at Niles, who was motioning for him to come to the door. So he let go of Fran and stepped into the hallway with Niles.

"What is it, Niles?" Max asked hastily.

"Sir," Niles whispered. "Miss Fine didn't hear a word you said in the kitchen, she has no idea that you were apologizing to her for the way you treated her, regarding the incidents of yesterday,"

Max's initial reaction was a bit of bewilderment, followed by a scour directed squarely at Niles. "But, of course, _you _know I apologized, because you know bloody well everything around here!"

Just then, his business line rang. Hastily, Mr. Sheffield walked back over to the desk and answered it. "Yes? What is it?" he practically barked. "Oh, sorry C.C." he said, putting his free hand on his forehead. "We're just in the middle of somewhat of a crisis here; I'll have to call you back." He put the phone down, thinking he'd hung up; when in fact he had put her on speaker phone.

"Mr. Sheffield," Fran had finished talking to her father.

"Well? Did he find them?" Mr. Sheffield asked, turning back to her, studying her facial expressions for some kind of sign.

When she went to open her mouth to respond, Fran's bottom lip started quivering, and she lost all control once again. In a split second Mr. Sheffield was right there holding her again. "No, it's even worse than we thought!" She buried her face into his chest. "Daddy found Yetta's fanny pack out in the hallway. She would never go anywhere without that!"

"Okay, Miss Fine. Shh, Shh," Mr. Sheffield was rubbing her back, trying to console her the best he could. "We will find them, don't you worry,"

Her sobbing rhythm was starting to slow down, so she was able to catch her breath and take a few deep breaths. "You're right, you're right. I need to calm down, I'm no good to anyone if I'm hysterical," she rationalized with herself as she sat down on the couch in his office.

"Oh, Nanny Fine." C.C. spoke, giving everyone a surprise. "I'm sorry about your mother and Yetta." Mr. Sheffield was going over to the phone to properly hang up, but Fran shook her head, telling him to leave her on. "Now, let's think about this rationally," C.C. continued. "Make sure you check every one of their favourite places."

"My father said he called everyone he knows, he called everywhere he could think of, no one has seen them." She started looking down at her hands.

"Did he try the buffet line at Kentucky Fried Chicken?" C.C. managed to stifle her laughter slightly over the phone.

"C.C.!" Mr. Sheffield yelled, looking at the phone.

"They aren't there." Fran said, starting to sob a little again. "They don't have a buffet on Sundays." She looked down at her hands once more, catching a glimpse of the time. "Oh, I'm late to go pick up Gracie!" she jumped towards the door.

"Oh, no, no, don't' worry about that," Max gave her a reassuring tap on the back. "I'll go pick her up, you need to stay here, hm?" Fran only looked at him for a second and he knew. "Niles!" he called, even though he knew Niles was right in the hall.

"Sir?" he replied stepping into the room.

"First, please see Miss Turner out, and let her know I will call her tomorrow. Then, Grace needs to be picked up from her friend's house. I'm staying here with Miss Fine." Niles nodded and was gone down the hallway. Max looked down at Fran, to see her looking right back.

She smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Sheffield." He smiled back, and kissed her again on the forehead.

"I'm sure they couldn't have gotten very far," He was still holding her, with her head pressed up against his chin. "After all, it takes Yetta almost five minutes just to walk to the bathroom." He smiled, looking down at Fran as they listened to C.C. laugh in the background.

"Mr. Sheffield!" she tapped him lightly on the lapel of his suit jacket. "This is no time for jokes, Miss Babcock!" Although, she did feel a small grin creep up on her face after he'd made the joke.

"There you go," he smiled back. "That's what I was looking for," he squeezed her a little tighter. "It's going to be alright Miss Fine."

"Oh, Mr. Sheffield." She said smiling. "Could you squeeze me just a little bit tighter? It really does make me feel better."

Fran heard C.C. gasp over the phone. "And so does that." She said to herself, knowing his affection for her drove C.C. nuts.

"Of course I can, Miss Fine." He replied, happily obliging as they heard C.C. hang up her end of the phone line.

Fran sniffled a little bit more, and then moved enough to be able to look in his eyes. "Mr. Sheffield, you know what you said in the kitchen?"

"Um, yes?" Max was treading lightly, remembering what Niles had just told him.

Fran sighed. "I just wanted to say, I really appreciate what you said, and I feel the same way too." She wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling, but she knew he didn't either, so that meant her statement still stood true.

"Oh, Miss Fine." He smiled at her. "You know, a strange thing seems to be happening to me lately."

"What's that?" she asked, as they finally let go of each other and he hung up the phone properly.

"Well, I'm discovering that, the longer I know you, the harder I'm finding it to be angry at you." He leaned on his desk and crossed his arms.

Fran couldn't help but wonder if that had something to do with whatever he'd said in the kitchen. She felt herself being conflicted, between what she wanted to say to him, and what she felt was the safe thing to say. With all the emotion going through her at that moment, she decided to just go for it. She stepped a little closer to him, making them almost touch once again. "And why do you think that is?"

He looked into her eyes, thinking about how badly he wished he could take away all the strife and worry she felt over her mother and grandmother. He remained silent, however. They both were silent, just staring into each other's eyes, ever so slowly leaning closer and closer to one another. "Fran.." Max was just about to take her face in his hands when the ringing phone startled them.


	7. Chapter 7: Busses and Bing Bing

Max quickly turned around and grabbed the phone off his desk. "Hello?" Fran composed herself, thinking about what just almost happened. It only took her a second to start worrying about her mother and Yetta, though. "Oh, thank you," he nodded to whoever was on the line. "Yes, we'll be right there," he said, and hung up.

"What is it? Did they find Ma and Yetta?" Fran asked, feeling the worry take her over once again.

"Yes, your mother and Yetta are alright, it seems they got turned around at the bus station, and ended up somewhere in New Jersey." He gave her a smile. "See?" as he stretched his arms out, motioning for her to go in for a hug.

Without so much as a hesitation, Fran positioned herself once again in his tight, safe feeling grasp. "Oh, Mr. Sheffield. I feel so much better, thank you, for everything." She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled too, so pleased that she wasn't going to be sick with worry any longer.

"You know, I'm finding it harder to be angry with you, too." She said with a smirk as they let go of each other. She knew what he was trying to say, and she wanted to make sure he knew she felt the same.

"Yes, well-" He stopped. "Wait, what do you have to be angry with me about?"

"Oh, you know, it's silly," she suddenly got cold feet, questioning the true meaning of what he'd said. "Let's go get Ma and Yetta, those poor things, stuck in Jersey!" She let out a little chuckle and headed out of the office.

Max sighed to himself, and then followed his nanny's lead towards the front of the house. It was ordeals like the last few hours that had him really starting to question his reasons for keeping Fran at arm's length like he was.

A few hours later, Fran was back at home, getting ready for bed. She had spent the rest of the evening with her mother and grandmother, and had made sure they both got home safe and sound before returning home herself. She was sitting at her vanity table when she spotted Niles walking by her room in the mirror. "Oh, Niles!" she called, standing up.

He stepped into her room. "I'm so glad your mother and Yetta are alright, such a terrible ordeal that was. Did Yetta say why she left her fanny pack behind?"

Fran smiled. "Thank you, Niles. I'm glad too." She let out a small chuckle. "Turns out, when she got into the hallway, she thought it was a rat that had jumped on her, so she dropped it."

Niles chuckled also. "It seems all is right in the world, then."

"Oh, almost everything, Niles." She sighed. "I just wish I knew exactly what Mr. Sheffield said in the kitchen earlier.

"Oh, well, you got the Coles Notes version of it in his office, actually." He smiled one of his many mischievous grins.

"Niles!" Fran playfully whacked him on the arm as she often did. "He didn't by chance say he loves me, did he?"

Niles frowned. "No, not that I heard. I'm sorry. He' still as oblivious as your mother at the Elizabeth Taylor benefit dinner, after the dessert cart went by our table."

She gave him a mock look of offense. "Niles! That's not a nice thing to say!" She winked. "She was back at the table in time to hear Ms. Taylor sing her last song."

He chuckled as he turned back towards the door. "Good night, Miss Fine."

She smiled and said goodnight also. It was only a few minutes later that Maggie poked her head in Fran's room. Fran spotted her in the mirror reflection. "Mags! Ooh, come in, come in! Tell me all about your night at the big time film festival!"

Maggie walked in and sat down on the bed. "Oh, it was amazing Fran. But, how are Sylvia and Yetta? You must have been so scared."

"Oh, they're fine." Fran said as she joined Maggie on the edge of the bed. "They've learned not to get distracted by new butcher shops on the bus route to the Chatterbox, though." She chuckled. "I was scared, but, your father was here, and that really helped."

Both Fran and Maggie smiled, knowing they were thinking the same thing about Fran's boss, and Maggie's father. "So! I want to hear all about your night tonight, sweetheart!" Fran said excitedly, really wanting to take her mind off Mr. Sheffield.

"Oh, it was one of the best nights of my life!" Maggie exclaimed. "As if it wasn't cool enough to actually be allowed to go, and to be there with Kip, but I got to see so many celebrities!"

"Ooh!" Fran was genuinely happy to hear Maggie recall her night so fondly. "Who's Kip?"

"He's the guy from school, the baseball player with the amazing hair." Maggie let herself fall back on the bed, as if she'd passed out. "He's so nice, and cool around the celebrities." She added.

"Oh! Wow Maggie, I didn't realize you were seeing him already." She added, cautiously.

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you that earlier, but with everything that happened with Dad, I couldn't, and then with your mom and Grandma Yetta after that.." she trailed off, not sure what exactly to say about that situation.

"Well, if you like him that much Maggie, I say go for it." Fran smiled, as Maggie sat up and hugged her.

"Thanks Fran. It really means a lot to me, you being so supportive." She hugged her nanny, and friend, once again.

"Anytime," Fran smiled as Maggie headed for the door. "Just remember, you'll come talk to me before you think about, you know, bing bing?" She made movements with her eyes, making sure Maggie understood what she was talking about.

"Of course, Fran. I love you," Maggie smiled once again. "Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams angel. See you in the morning." Fran just couldn't wipe the smile off of her face, thinking about how grown up Maggie was, and how she was becoming such a wonderful young woman.

Her thoughts were cut short however, when she saw Mr. Sheffield walk by her door out of the corner of her eye. She also saw him hesitate, and then step back towards her room. She almost said something, but didn't really get the chance, since he once again continued walking past her door towards his.

Fran got off her bed and was going into her closet to get her bathrobe out when his voice startled her. "Miss Fine,"

"Oh, Mr. Sheffield," she jumped a little bit.

Instantly realizing he'd scared her, Max went around the bed, closer to where Fran was standing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He ran his hand through his hair.

"That's okay," Fran replied, trying not to let herself think about his hands running through her hair. "I guess I'm still just a little on edge after this evening."

Max put his hand on her back. "I can imagine, you've had quite the past few days." He gave her a sheepish grin, hoping she'd take it as he meant it, meaning he wasn't mad at her anymore. Fran just looked at him, not really sure what to say. "About that, Miss Fine." Max started. "I wanted to talk about what I said in the kitchen this afternoon." He let out a big sigh and sat down on her bed.


	8. Chapter 8: Goodnights and Good Decisions

"Oh, okay." Fran replied, feeling hopeful as she sat down next to him.

"I just wanted to make sure you understood," Max took her hand in his as he started talking, "how much you mean to this family,"

Fran immediately felt herself blush. She wanted to say something, but the words never seemed to be ready to come out.

"You know," he continued, "I look at Margaret, and see what a beautiful, poised young lady she's becoming.

"Poised?" Fran really wanted to crack a joke to lighten the moment a little. "Are you having her see another nanny, cause she's not getting that from my side." She said in a slightly matter of fact tone.

Max chuckled lightly as he put his free hand around her shoulders and squeezed. "I'm serious, Miss Fine." The smile left his face, and turned to a more poignant look. "Her mother would be so proud of her,"

Although her head told her not to, Fran followed her heart, and gazed right into Mr. Sheffield's eyes silently.

"And I have you to thank for that," he said, now gazing directly into hers as well.

The look lasted a good while in silence before he finally broke his eyes away. "And Brighton, he's actually doing a real science project now, instead of just letting old produce get rancid in the fridge."

Fran chuckled now, recognizing Mr. Sheffield's need for comic relief also. "Well, I don't think rancid would be a bad word to describe this project either."

He smiled, nodding in agreement. "And Gracie, my sweet little, complicated, uses words I'd have to work under Sigmund Freud to understand, Gracie." He looked at her as he said that, and they were both laughing a little more. "She's growing up too. And, as scary as that thought is," he added, a little more serious this time. "I know she has you here to look out for her, to guide her in the right directions."

"Aww, Mr. Sheffield," Suddenly Fran felt she knew what to say. "Those are all very nice things to say, and I love those kids very much." She leaned her head on his shoulder, suddenly filled with reassurement, and almost a feeling of progress.

He sighed lightly. "Even when you are running around, sending my investors out the door, and practically hand feeding Andrew Lloyd Webber a smash hit script that should've been mine." He smiled, as she took her hand back and pulled her head away from his shoulder to give him a look. He just chuckled. "Oh, Miss Fine." He took her hand in his right hand again, his left arm still around her shoulder. "I really and truly can't imagine our lives here without you." Fran looked at their hands woven together, and then up at him. "Especially mine…Fran." He finished in a low, rather understated voice, casting a deep gaze into her eyes once again.

"Aww, well you're swee…" Fran now finally looked up her boss, truly realizing what he'd just said. She took a minute, to really take it in, really enjoy the moment, the two of them looking into each other's eyes, their minds racing with possibility and curiosity for the future.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last long before Fran saw a cute little dirty blond head poke into her doorway.

Mr. Sheffield instantly pulled away from Fran and jumped up to meet Grace at the door. "Sweetheart," he knelt down to where she was standing. "Why aren't you all tucked in and fast asleep? It's way past your bedtime, dear." It wasn't until then that he realized his body had reacted instinctively by pulling away from Fran, before his heart could tell him to stay at her side. Not wanting to face the look of disappointment he was sure he'd see on Fran's face, he focused all his attention on Grace.

"I know, Daddy." Grace replied. "I just needed to talk to Fran for a minute, can I please?" She gave him the soft, hopeful eyes he knew too well.

Fran spoke up before he could. "Aww, of course you can, Angel!" she put her arms out. "Come sit here with me on the bed, and we can talk about whatever you need sweetie." She too felt the need to focus on Gracie. Although, for Fran the reason was entirely different. It was a feeling of hurt, disappointment, and frustration.

"I'll only be a few minutes, Daddy." She said to her father as she climbed onto Fran's bed beside her. "And then I'll go right to bed." She smiled at him standing in the doorway.

"Alright sweetheart." He smiled at his daughter, and then let himself glance at Fran. "Goodnight, Miss Fine." He said quietly just before turning and going out the door.

"Goodnight Mr. Sheffield." She replied, as he disappeared from sight. It was clear to her that he wasn't ready to show any kind of affection towards her in front of the kids, so she continued to be her bubbly, loving self to Gracie. "Now, what is it you needed to talk to me about so late at night, Angel?"

Grace looked up at her, frowning slightly. "Fran, I don't want you to ever leave us, ever. I really mean it, even when we're as old as…" Fran gave her a look. "Don't worry, I was going to say C.C." she finished, her lip turning up ever so slightly.

Fran chuckled. "Oh, sweetie!" she gave Grace a giant hug. "First of all, have I told you lately, that you're my favourite?" Grace smiled a little more as they let go of each other enough to look at one another. "Gracie, you know I love you very much, all of you. And I will be here for as long as you need me honey." They hugged again.

Grace smiled as they continued to hug. "You really mean all of us?"

Feeling she knew where that was going, Fran tried to steer the conversation a different way. "Of course I do." She looked at Grace, her face getting more serious. "Now, what brought all this stuff on?"

Grace sighed. "Fran, what would've happened if they didn't find your mom and Grandma Yetta?"

Leave it to little Grace to always have to ask those hard questions, Fran thought. "Well now Gracie, we can't think like that, it can't be healthy to worry so much over something that, thankfully, didn't happen." Fran thought about that idea relating to her own life for a moment before continuing. "We just have to think about how grateful we are that they were found, safe and sound, and how important it is to not waste time expressing or accepting our feelings, even though we know deep down, because you just don't know what life will throw at you, and you may never get the chance to truly express those feelings, and-"

"Fran?" Grace interrupted her tangent.

"Oh," Fran responded, realizing what she was saying. "Sweetie, I want you to go to bed thinking about everyone you love, and who loves you, and how you are going to tell them how much you love them tomorrow when you see them, okay?"

"Okay, thanks Fran." Gracie gave her one more hug and then hopped off the bed.

"Anytime, Angel." She replied as Grace headed for the door. "Goodnight, I love you."

Grace stopped, looking around awkwardly for a minute. "Um, okay." Was all she said.

"Sweetie?" Fran questioned her, seeing the look of confusion and worry on her little face.

"Well," she started, "I'm not sure what to say back. You said to tell everyone I love that I love them tomorrow.." she trailed off, her brow very furrowed.

Fran let out a light laugh. "Oh,Gracie." She went to the door to give her one more hug. "You're so cute when you take things literally," she tapped Grace's nose. "You can say it to me tonight and tomorrow, and any other time you want to, how's that?" Fran got a mischievous look on her face. "And if you can get your _father_ to say it to me, you really will be my favourite." She said under her breath.

Relief washed over the little face. "Goodnight Fran, I love you!" she reached up and gave her nanny a kiss on the cheek before bouncing back down the hall to her room.

Fran smiled as Grace left the room. She couldn't help but ask herself some of the questions her conversation with the littlest Sheffield had brought up in her mind. She did believe it was important to tell everyone important in your life that you love them any chance you got, so was she really wasting her time waiting for Mr. Sheffield? Even though, they had come as far as they had to this point. And if she did wait for him, what would happen when Gracie had gone off to college? If he hadn't made his move, what was she going to do then? Well, she wasn't going to let it get to that point. Deciding to follow her own advice, Fran made a decision. She silently promised herself that she'd talk to Mr. Sheffield the next day, explaining to him how she felt, and the questions she hadn't been able to get off her mind lately. Feeling her head spin with nerves and excitement, Fran started focusing on sleep, and being thankful that her mother and grandmother were at home, safely tucked in bed. Well, she knew her mother was probably tucked in front of the refrigerator, but the feeling still applied.


	9. Chapter 9: Lunch and Last Hope

The next afternoon, Fran was getting herself ready for her date. Mr. Sheffield hadn't been home all day, so she still had all of the things she wanted to get off her chest built up inside her. Her and Val were chatting as she got ready.

"Fran, you think you and this Andrew guy are gonna have a long relationship? He seems perfect for you."

"Well, maybe only as long as it takes Mr. Sheffield to realize I'm not gonna wait forever." Fran replied, putting on a black dress.

"Oh, I hear ya there Frannie. Lots of guys that I've been with have had that problem too. Val shook her head. "If I had a dime for every guy that I've had to wait for, when we were, you know.." she rolled her eyes.

Fran gave Val one of the many, 'how have you made it to thirty something and are still this dumb?' kind of looks. "You'd still be broke, Val." Fran said. "And NO, I mean if I make Mr. Sheffield jealous, that maybe he'll finally realize he's in love with me too. Who knows if it'll work, but a girl can dream." She put her hands on her hips as she looked at her friend. "And meanwhile, lots of guys, Val? I'm not the only one who's dreaming here."

Val shrugged her shoulders. "So what happens if he doesn't get jealous, and you end up really liking this guy? What are you gonna do then Fran?"

"Oh, I don't know Val. i guess I'm just putting all my eggs in one basket here." She sighed as she sat on her bed.

"Well, you must feel pretty good about this guy if you're gonna give him your eggs." Val added, standing up. Again, Fran gave her best friend a quizzical look. But Val was pretty oblivious, as if that wasn't obvious. "I better get home, you know how my mother get if I'm not home for dinner." She said, standing up from sitting on the bed.

"Uh, sure Val. I'll call ya later. "Fran said bye to her friend as she left the room. She started thinking about whether or not she wanted Mr. Sheffield to know where she was going before she left. What would she say? And would he try to stop her? She realized she'd be crushed if he didn't try, but then again, how does she fix the situation with his work if she didn't go out with this guy? Fran decided to just leave everything the way it was, letting Mr. Sheffield find out about her date when she was already on it, so that even if he did get mad, at least she'd have the possibility of a new business deal to offer up as an apology. When the doorbell rang, Fran timed her arrival at the door perfectly, as always.

"Mr. Johnson is here for you Miss Fine." Niles announced as she came down the stairs in that little black dress only she could make look good, without looking trashy.

"Andrew, it's so good to see you." She bounced over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Where are we going this afternoon?" she asked, trying to sound as bubbly, and flirty as possible. It's never too early to start working that charm, she ways thought.

"I made a late lunch reservation at Chez Marie's" he said, looking all around the mansion's entry. "But first, I'd love a tour of the great Sheffield mansion." He looked at Niles.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. The last tour for the day just finished," Niles said, always willing to help out his friend.

"Ah. Just as well." The critic said. "I can already tell Maxwell doesn't need me telling him what plays to produce, he's made quite a living already, obviously."

"Well actually," Fran said, thinking on her feet. "You know, he's had some bad luck recently, and he's always grateful for that insider advice." She smiled, feeling a little worried by the tone of the date so far.

Andrew wasn't really listening though. "Is that an original Picasso? I heard his latest pieces went for a hundred grand at auction last week." He said, marvelling at the vase sitting on the table in the entry.

"Uhh," Fran stammered a bit. "Would you believe his rich great aunt dropped dead the same week he won the lotto max? I mean really, do you believe that?" she really, really hoped he did.

"You know Fran," Andrew said as he took her arm, and turned towards the door. "I'll admit, I was feeling a little bad for Maxwell when I heard Webber got that deal." Good! Fran thought. I can use this! But before she had the chance to say her two cents, Andrew continued. "But, now seeing this place, with the butler, and the beautiful woman he has raising his children. I can see he certainly doesn't need any help from me."

Fran gave him a nervous smile. Oy. Now what? She thought as they headed out for their afternoon date. And she was coming to the conclusion that it was going to be a long afternoon at that. She knew her mind would be very busy trying to convince Andrew to give Mr. Sheffield a play. He was a last hope, and Fran sure was hoping it worked.

Luckily, Fran was pleasantly surprised by her date after all. After a drink, they ate a delicious meal at one of New York's most sought after restaurants, and then took a peaceful, sunny stroll down towards the river. When it was time to say goodnight, Fran and Andrew shared a nice hug, and Fran gave him another peck on the cheek. I had a very nice time, Andrew. I'd love to do it again sometime." She said as he walked her to the door.

"So did I, Fran." He smiled. "You know, I'm not usually this forward with women, but you're not like most women I meet."

"Awww, that's sweet," she blushed, and he continued to smile while he looked her very squarely in the eyes.

"Fran, I have to go to Greece to review a few plays next week, I don't suppose I could convince you to join me?" he asked, putting his hand on hers


	10. Chapter 10: Concords and Cluing In

A/N: Okay, hopefully anyone who has enjoyed my story will forgive me for being away from it for so a long time. I get super into something, and then let others (the nanny, this story) fall to the wayside. Anyway, I'll try to update more often now!

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She wasn't sure why, but all of a sudden his physical touch made Fran uncomfortable. "Oh, Andrew, wow." She said quickly, as she awkwardly moved her hand away from his. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she didn't want to lead him on, either. "Um, I'm not sure I'll be able to leave the kids, to be honest." Well, half honest anyway, she thought. "Can I get back to you, say in a few days?" she asked, seeing his face change.

"Sure," he replied, sounding a little deflated. "I didn't mean to sound so forward, Fran." He apologized. "I had a great time today, and I was thinking a few days in Greece with a woman like you would be pretty great, too."

Fran knew she was charmed. "Oh, that sounds like it would be great," she said, smiling at him. "I'll have to check my schedule, Andrew, but I'll let you know in a few days, okay?"

"Sounds great, I can't wait to hear from you," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Bye Fran." He finished, and then turned around and headed back to his car.

Fran was still smiling as she went through the first door, but stopped before she opened the second one to enter the mansion. Greece? Could she really go half way around the world with this man she just met? She asked herself. What would Mr. Sheffield say? Should she care what he would say? After a few minutes sitting on the bench in between the doors, Fran knew what she had to do. She got up, and walked into the mansion. Niles was dusting by the couches. Fran rushed over to him, not even taking her coat off.

"Niles, where's Mr. Sheffield? I really need to talk to him; I can't let it go any longer." She didn't realize she'd been breathing heavily until she stopped talking.

"Oh, Miss Fine," Niles frowned, sensing the urgency on his friend's distraught face. "I'm afraid you've missed him."

"Yeah, I know." She replied very quickly. "That's what I need to talk to him about. I just got invited to go to Greece with Andrew, and I need to deal with this business between me and Mr. Sheffield once and for all, I need to know whether I'm wasting my time or not."

"Oh, no." Niles put down his feather duster. "I'm terribly sorry, Miss Fine. Mr. Sheffield isn't here; he just took off in the Concord for Paris."

"What?" Fran asked, very confused by this turn of events.

"It seems that Mr. Sheffield got word that this deal with Sir Lloyd Webber may have fallen through, so he's trying to get over there as fast as possible, hoping to swoop in and get it for himself." He looked at Fran, feeling very bad for her.

"Well, I guess that's good then, if he can still get that deal after I accidentally threw out his contracts the other day." Fran wanted to be happy for him, but the truth was she was realizing she wasn't going to be able to pour her heart out to him like she thought she would, and that made her sadder by the second. "Oh, Niles, what am I going to do now?" she said, starting to feel herself well up with tears.

Niles sighed. "What can you do? The man you love has fled to Paris, the most romantic city in the world, on the small chance that he can sign a deal." He looked at Fran, and she wasn't getting it yet, so he continued. "The same deal you messed up in the first place. However, that didn't matter because he fully forgave you, even though he had no way of knowing this second chance at the deal would happen." He looked at Fran once more, and she still wasn't getting what he was hinting at. "Meaning he had to accept the fact that he lost the deal of his career, because of you. And he did, without too much hesitation." This time when he looked at Fran, he tried to get her to see his body language also, to help her clue in. However, it still didn't work. Niles let out a slightly frustrated sigh. "That was, until he had the most fortunate luck. It was a second chance at this fantastic deal, which he is hoping to sign right now, in Paris, the most romantic city in the world." He willed her to understand his hints with his eyes.

"Niles, I feel like you're trying to get to something," She said, with a slight whimper in her voice.

"Well DUH!" he threw his hands up¸ rolling his eyes at the same time.

"Well, would ya just tell me what it is?!" She scowled. "I'm just too feklempt right now to follow all your rants, I gotta say."

"Ohh, Miss Fine," he huffed slightly. "Can you think of what would be the perfect way for you to express yourself to Mr. Sheffield, as you so desperately want to do?"

"Ahh," her face brightened a little bit. "I get ya now." She nodded. "You're saying that I should go to Greece, so that Mr. Sheffield will realize how much he misses me, and therefore how much he loves me, right?"

Niles rolled his eyes and laughed at himself a little. "I'm going about this all wrong." He realized aloud. He looked Fran square in the eyes. "Miss Fine, I think I might make some baklava next week. I suppose I could give you a piece, but, there's a whole dish of that crème Brule that you love-"

"Oh my God!" Fran gasped. "Niles, you're so right!"

"Oh?" he rebutted, quickly. "What am I right about?" he walked around her and went over to the coat closet and opened the door, reaching inside for something.

"You're right about what I need to do about Mr. Sheffield!" she exclaimed, looking all around. "Oh my God, I have to hurry up and get to Paris, I have to pack a bag, oh and I have to call Ma, and what am I going to do about the kids?!" Fran was very frantically bouncing about the Sheffield entry way.

Meanwhile, Niles reached into the closet and pulled out a packed bag, holding it out to Fran. "I just put a pineapple upside down cake in the oven; it's only a matter of time before your mother arrives. I'll fill her in on what you're doing, and I'm sure she'll happily keep an eye on the children for you." He stepped up and opened the door for her.

"Ahh! Niles! Thank you!" Fran squealed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and jumping up "Paris, here I come!" and with that, she was out the door, on her way to rendez vous with the man she loved in the most romantic city in the world.


	11. Chapter 11: The Big Man and Baiting

A/N: This one is pretty short, but it was really the only place I liked splitting it up, so.. it's short, and sweet ;)

* * *

Just as Fran headed out the door, Maggie and Grace came down the stairs. Niles was smiling to himself, thinking about how he had figured out how to get through to Miss Fine; through food! "What was that all about?" The girls asked.

"Miss Fine has gone to Paris to _finally_ tell your father how she feels, and if the big man upstairs is listening to me, your father will do the same."

"Oh, wow! This is so exciting!" Both girls squealed. "Are we doing anything to celebrate?" they asked.

"I'm about to speed dial Miss Babcock!" He said with a boyish giddiness, as the girls gave him slightly disapproving looks. "Oh, you mean you wanted to call her and tell her?" The girls laughed at Niles' joke, and carried on into the living room.

Just as Maggie was about to sit down on the couch, the phone on the table beside rang. "Hello?" she greeted the person on the other end of the line.

"Uh, Megan? I need to talk to your father." Maggie rolled her eyes and motioned for Niles to take the phone.

"Who is it?" Niles asks, slightly annoyed. "The sooner I can call the old maid, the better. I don't

Want to be tied up in unnecessary phone calls."

"Problem solved," Maggie smirked. "Cause it's the old maid." she finished as she handed him the phone.

"Oh, He is good!" Niles said looking up at the ceiling quickly, referring to that big man upstairs. "Oh Miss Babcock, I am so happy to hear your voice! I cannot wait for you to come home!" he said into the phone, baiting his hook.

"Oh, well isn't that sweet." C.C. replied, sarcastically. "Butler boy's life is so pathetic; he's pining away for me while here in Arizona, I'm being swept off my feet."

"Well, first of all." Niles smiled, thinking this was going to be better than he had originally planned. "I'd like to meet the man who's actually strong enough to push you over with a broom; he's got to be seven feet tall and four hundred pounds to be that strong." He only allowed himself to enjoy the deep laugh he'd come to crave hearing since she'd been in Arizona for a few seconds before continuing. "And second, if you're looking for Mr. Sheffield, he isn't here. He's in Paris, with Miss Fine."

"He's where?! Niles, what are you talking about?" she demanded to know. "When did that happen?" she hissed.

"Oh dear, now I've gone and ruined it for myself." He replied in a calm, slightly deflated tone. "I was so excited for you to come home so I could tell you that in person, to see your face." His lip curled up as he delivered his final blow of his one-two punch of insults perfectly. "Darn." He finished in a smarmy, perfect tone.

"Niles!" she yelled. "I really need to talk to Maxwell, it's very important, so could you just get him for me?" she half whined.

"Miss Babcock, I'm sorry. He really isn't here, I swear. He left about an hour ago, on the Concord." He racked 'em up again.

"On the Concord?" she repeated. "Well, what could be so damn important in Paris that he had to leave in such a rush? If it was business, why wouldn't he tell me he was going? And Nanny Fine, what could she possibly be doing there with him?" she asked, slightly whining again.

Niles grinned. "Isn't it obvious? He didn't have time to tell you he was going to Paris, because he _really _wanted to see the deal."

C.C. huffed loudly. "Fine. When will he be home?" she asked very bluntly.

"Oh, who can really know?" Niles said rhetorically, beaming from ear to ear. "It could even take days. You know how important this is to him; he may even make sure he's sealed it _forever_. He may even be at it until he's-"

"Okay! I get it!" she snapped. "Just tell him to call me as soon as he gets home." She hung up without saying anything else.

He hung up too, unable to wipe the smile off his face. "Miss Margaret, Miss Grace, I'm going to serve a full feast tonight, what would you like for dinner?"

"Actually, Niles," Maggie said. "I've got dinner plans with Kip, so I won't be home."

"And Brighton's at Kevin's again, so he won't be home either." Grace piped up. "So it would be a waste to make such a big meal for just me." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, nonsense Miss Grace. It's not a waste at all." He smiled.

"Sylvia is on her way over, isn't she?" Grace asked with a knowing look on her face.  
"Yeah." Niles replied, very matter of factly. "How does beef wellington sound?" Grace nodded.

"Poor Niles," Maggie said, shaking her head. "The guy's so in love, he can't even admit it."

"Yeah," Grace added. "Denial can be such a crutch; it can negatively affect one's mental health." She sighed. "If he was in any more denial about being in love, he'd be-"

The girls looked at each other, knowing they had the same thought. "Dad." They both said in unison, chuckling a little.


	12. Chapter 12: Honeymooners and Honesty

Meanwhile, Fran had just landed in Paris. It didn't take her long to find the hotel Mr. Sheffield was staying in, thanks to the note Niles had left her in the bag he'd packed. She walked up to the concierge desk. "Bonjour," she greeted the woman behind the desk. "I am looking for Maxwell Sheffield's room," she said, speaking slowly, to help with the language barrier.

"Vous etes Madame Sheffield?" she asked.

"Not yet," Fran replied, impressing the woman.

"Oh, mademoiselle, you speak French?" she asked, typing on the computer in front of her.

"No," Fran shook her head. "But I taught myself the phrase 'Mrs. Sheffield' in seven languages."

The concierge smiled. "Ah." She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote Mr. Sheffield's room number on it for Fran. "Voila, mademoiselle."

Fran smiled and picked up the paper. "Merci!" she replied cheerfully as she headed for the elevator doors across the lobby.

Riding up in the elevator, Fran's mind raced with excitement and nerves. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, preferring to let the spontaneity fuel her. The doubts she had about pushing him for a commitment crept up too, but she was keeping herself in a good place by focusing on the positives of the situation. Even if he didn't want her, Fran would finally know, once and for all, where she stood. As she heard the 'ding', and watched the doors open on the penthouse floor, Fran suddenly couldn't move. What if he didn't want her? The very thought literally paralyzed her in the elevator. She couldn't stop herself from wondering if she was building all this up in her mind. Had she done this to herself? Set herself up for so much failure? Without realizing it, Franlet the elevator doors close with her still inside. Feeling like she was more alone than ever before, Fran couldn't stop herself from crying. It wasn't until the elevator stopped again a few floors lower that she realized she hadn't gotten off, and that it was stopping to let someone else on. She quickly got a tissue out of her purse and dabbed her cheeks.

A young couple got in and stood beside her. Anyone could see they were very much in love, even if they weren't making out right there in front of her.

Fran smiled, glancing over at them out of the corner of her glossy eyes.

Noticing her, the couple separated themselves. "We're sorry," the woman said. "We're on our honeymoon; we just checked in this morning."

"Aww, that's beautiful," Fran smiled. "It's your first time leaving the room since you've been here, huh?"

The couple laughed and nodded. "Is it that obvious?" the woman blushed, a little embarrassed.

"Oh, you shouldn't feel bad honey," Fran put her hand on the woman's arm. "You should be all over each other. You're young; you're in love, and in the most beautiful, romantic city in the entire world." Hearing herself say those words, Fran started to think about who she was really talking to. "Thanks," the woman replied, looking at Fran. "You must be married?"  
"No," Fran shook her head. "I came to tell the man I'm in love with that I'm tired of waiting for him to make his move." Hearing herself say the whole thing out loud put another lump in her throat.

"Oh, my!" The woman returned the comfort Fran had just extended to her. "Well, if the man has any sense at all, he'll make his move right here. There isn't any better place than in Paris, right?" she smiled.

Fran nodded. "I was just up on his floor, but I got cold feet. We've lived together for almost four years, and he's sent me all these mixed messages, I don't know if he really wants me or not."

"Oh, honey." The woman said, empathetically. "Take it from me. If he's the one, he'll be worth the wait." She turned from Fran and shared a long, loving look with her new husband. "It took this guy over five years to finally realize I was his better half." They continued to smile at each other. "And now I'm thankful for every single day of those long, five years."

Fran sighed. "That's really sweet, but I'm not getting any younger, and I'm just not sure I can wait much longer, unless I know he's ready to make a commitment." She sniffled lightly. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you realize you were ready to commit?" she asked the man, who'd been quiet up to that point.

"Oh, it was easy for me." He smiled at his wife. "We had a big fight, and spent a night a part. Well, it didn't take me long to realize that any fear I had of what our future may hold was nothing compared to the fear of a future without her."

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened at the lobby. "Well," the woman let go of Fran. "Hopefully you two can find your happiness like we did." She smiled. "It took five years for us, but now I can see that we needed that time, to truly appreciate each other, and to realize we wanted to be together for the rest of our lives."

Fran smiled and felt her lump going away. "Thank you," she said, looking at the couple as they stepped out of the elevator. "And congratulations."

The woman smiled back. "Thank you. And good luck with your guy." They waved to each other, and then the couple disappeared around the corner out of Fran's view.

What the husband had said about the thoughts of a future without the woman he loved really resonated with Fran. Feeling a new sense of confidence, she hit the penthouse button on the elevator panel once more. She was still scared of the possibility of rejection, but she came to the conclusion that she couldn't live with herself if she didn't try. Taking a deep breath in, she walked out of the elevator on the penthouse floor and headed for the third door on the left.

She knocked first, not sure if she wanted to say anything before he opened it. Getting no response, she knocked again. "Mr. Sheffield?" she said, putting her ear up to the door. Still, she heard nothing. She tried once more, knocking harder, and calling him louder. This was a scenario she hadn't planned for, him not being in his room. She tried the door, and of course it was locked. Fran looked at the paper the concierge had given her to make sure it was the right room. Seeing that it was the right room, Fran let out her breath. Now what?

Fran let herself sink down the wall beside his door, ending in a sitting position against the wall. She looked at her watch, and realized that it was past dinner time in Paris. She hadn't been there long enough to adjust to the time change. She talked herself into thinking that Mr. Sheffield was probably finishing up the dinner where he signed the deal, so he should be back any time and he would definitely be in the mood to celebrate. Perfect, she thought. However, after an hour of sitting on the floor like that, Fran's scepticisms were starting to creep up once again. Not to mention the jet lag. She didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep until she was being gently shaken awake.

"Miss Fine," she heard a soft, British voice say. "Miss Fine, what on earth are you doing here?" Yes, she definitely knew that voice. Opening her eyes, she saw Mr. Sheffield crouched down in front of her.

"Oh, Mr. Sheffield, you're here." She said as he helped her up.

"Yes, of course I am. I flew over on the Concord this afternoon for important business. But what I'd like to know is what you are doing here." He asked, rather shortly.

Fran could tell instantly that things will this deal didn't go very well for him. It was written on his face, and in the body language she had come to know so well. She decided that she couldn't pour her heart out to him when he was in such a miserable state. "Um, I, I, I still feel so bad about ruining this deal for you that, I thought a gesture like coming all the way to Paris to apologize, again, would help."

His face turned into a bit of a surly frown as he got his room key out of his jacket pocket. "Well don't waste your breath," he huffed as he unlocked, but didn't open the door.

"You didn't get it, did you?" Fran asked, waiting for him to open it.

He looked at her, sighed, and then opened the door. He took her bag and motioned for her to go in first. He threw his coat on a chair as they walked in and then immediately went over to the mini bar and grabbed a small bottle. Upon downing most of its contents, he looked at Fran once more. "Miss Fine, I don't know why you came all this way."

Oy, thought Fran as she sat down on the edge of the bed. It was very clear he saw right through her apology excuse. At this point she decided that since he asked her, there was no sense in putting it off any longer. "Well, Mr. Sheffield, I guess if I'm being totally honest-"

"I'm leaving to go back to New York tonight;" he interrupted her. "There won't be any time for you to do any of what you planned." He downed the rest of the small bottle and then went into the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror.

"Well, if I'm being totally honest, Mr. Sheffield, I had no plans, really. I was just going to come in, and hope for the best." She cast her voice towards the bathroom. Here we go, she thought.


	13. Chapter 13: Shopping and Sensuality

"Well, I'm sorry Miss Fine." He came out of the bathroom and stood near the bed. "It simply just isn't going to happen. You might as well just forget about it now, save yourself the misery." He loosened his tie and sat down.

Fran couldn't believe what she was hearing In fact, she _didn't_ believe what she was hearing. "Mr. Sheffield," she said, going over to him. "I think you're acting a little irrationally here," she looked him square in the eye. "You've had a bad night, maybe a few too many of those little bottles, so you're not thinking clearly."

"Not thinking clearly?" he rebutted very quickly, standing up. "What is there to be not thinking clearly about?" he was raising his voice ever so slightly, which instantly upset Fran.

"You know, I can't believe you." She said, throwing her hands on her hips. "I rush all the way to Paris for this, and you just shut me down like you don't even have to think about it!" she raised her voice a little too, as she felt the lump from the elevator creep into her throat again. It wasn't until that moment that Fran realized she really wasn't prepared for him to reject her. She'd been telling herself she'd be able to handle it if it happened, but in that split second she realized she wasn't anywhere near as strong as she thought she was. It took almost everything she had to not start crying in front of him, again.

"Well, I don't know what you expect me to say, Miss Fine." He let out a giant breath of air and sat down on the bed once again. "The shops in Paris close earlier than in New York, it's not like I can do anything about it. So you're just going to have to accept that."

"Well it's very- HEH?" Fran said, oh so nasally. "What are you talking about, the shops in Paris?"

"Come on, Miss Fine. You didn't think I believed you when you said you came here to apologize again?" He chuckled a little, in a bit of a mocking tone. "You underestimate me, Miss Fine." He smiled up at her, standing over him.

Feeling the relief wash over her like a giant tidal wave, Fran plopped down next to Mr. Sheffield on the side of the bed. "Oh, yeah. I schlepped all the way to Paris to get in some shopping, yeah. You've figured me out alright. I guess that's why you're the big Broadway producer, and I'm just the nanny." The relief she felt swept over her just as quickly as the fear of rejection had a few minutes earlier.

He smiled a genuine smile for the first time since they entered the room. "Oh, Miss Fine. You're so much more-" He stopped himself, however before saying out loud what he was thinking.

Fran let her eyes lock with his when he stopped talking. "Mr. Sheffield?" she said, expectantly.

"You're so much more smarter than you give yourself credit for," he recovered, hoping she hadn't caught on to what he almost said. "You have street smarts, and that's just as valuable as any other kind of intelligence." He looked into her eyes.

"Aww, Mr. Sheffield." She smiled.

"I'm serious, Miss Fine." He continued. "I know I've picked up lots of things from you."

"You have?" she asked, genuinely curious as to what he was going to say next.

"Well, yes." He put his hand on hers. "You know, a man doesn't spend four years living with you without getting something."

Fran really wasn't sure what to say next. Was he trying to tell her something, or were they really talking about him learning street smarts from her? Was this the moment she had come all the way to Paris for? Or would she scare him if she started telling him everything she wanted to so badly? It wasn't long before Mr. Sheffield pulled her out of her thoughts though.

"Miss Fine?" he was trying to get her attention, knowing she was off in deep thought. "Fran.." he said softly.

"Yeah?" she bounced right back, hearing him call her by her first name.

He smiled. "Listen. I know it's late, and I still intend on going back to New York before morning. But honestly, I've been nothing but stressed since I arrived, and I haven't eaten a thing either. What do you say to a bit of a night out, hm? I know I could use a night on the town to take my mind of this terrible deal."

"Well, first of all," Fran replied. "If I left the baked goods capital of the world without eating at least one meal, my mother would probably disown me from the Fine family." She joked. "Hmm." She continued, feigning an interest in the idea of not being part of her crazy family anymore. Truth be told, what she was really doing was trying not to let the fact that she was doing somersaults on the inside show on the outside.

Mr. Sheffield gave a bit of a grin now, joking as well. "I'm confused, does that mean you do, or don't want to get something to eat now?"

Fran gave him a bit of a coy look. Well you know, it would be such a shame to leave Paris on a sour note." She smiled.

"Wonderful! A night on the town it is!" he cheered as he stood up, pulling her up with him.

"Oh," Fran was taken aback by his actions. "I just want to freshen up first." She said, looking down at his handing still holding hers.

"Sure," he replied, still smiling, and still holding her hand.

"Mr. Sheffield?" she said, guiding his eyes down to their hands with her eyes.

"Oh," he laughed, letting go. "Right. I'll um, meet you in the lobby then?" he said, grabbing his jacket from the chair he'd thrown it on when they walked in.

"Be there in ten," she smiled, as she headed into the bathroom. Fran quickly changed her clothes into a more evening appropriate look. Of course, for Fran that meant something very sexy and full of sequins. This, luckily for Fran, was exactly what Niles had packed. It was almost like he knew she was going to end up in a situation where she'd need a fancy gown like that, she thought. When she was ready, she left the room and headed downstairs. She still had a million questions running through her head as-she stepped off the elevator. What was going to happen tonight? Were they going to end up staying until morning, or was Mr. Sheffield that serious about leaving the city that night? As soon as she saw him, Fran decided not to let herself think about what was, or wasn't going to happen that night. She was in Paris, with the man she loved, and that was all that mattered. She let out a very satisfied sigh as she walked over to Mr. Sheffield standing at the bar of the hotel.

"Oh, Miss Fine." Max looked her up and down as she approached the bar. "You look…" he wasn't sure a word existed to really do her justice at that moment. So he decided to show her instead. He leaned in and gave her a sensual kiss on the cheek. Knowing how romantic a gesture that was, Max normally would've hesitated and stopped himself from going through with such an act. This time, though, it just felt instictual.

"Shall we?" she asked, trying to remain calm and collected. She really wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, after the way he had just kissed her.

"Absolutely," he said, holding his arm out for her to hook onto his.


	14. Chapter 14: Good Dreams and Guns

"So where should we go?" she asked, looping her arm through his as they walked towards the hotel doors.

Without knowing it, they were both thinking the same thing. Back upstairs. But neither would say it aloud. "Well where would you like to go?" he asked her.

"Oh, I wouldn't know where to begin!" she said, excitedly. "We're in Paris! Where wouldn't I like to go?!"

He laughed lightly and suggested a nice little bistro near the base of the Eiffel Tower, and told her to let him know if she thought of a place she'd like to go after that.

They shared a delicious meal, touching each other's hands and face throughout the entire meal. They even shared a few quick pecks on the lips here and there. After dinner, they went for a stroll around the tower and the surrounding grounds. They marvelled in the beauty of the moonlight, reflecting on the perfectly still water of the body of water before them. "Mr. Sheffield, I've got to tell you, I'm really glad we got to do this tonight."

"Well that makes two of us, Miss Fine." He said, tapping on the hand of Fran's that was wrapped around his arm as they walked. "But you know," he said, as they stopped walking. "Had we headed right back to New York instead of doing this, I still wouldn't say my time in Paris ended on a sour note." He turned to be face to face with Fran.

"Well, that's very positive of you Mr. Sheffield, but I don't think anyone can really blame you for being upset." She still felt that guilt over him losing the deal in the first place. She was Jewish, after all.

He laughed lightly, looking into her eyes. "I mean because you're here, Fran." he said, taking a long breath in. He stroked her cheek before giving her another sensual kiss on the cheek. It felt even more insinctual than the one at the hotel bar a few hours earlier.

"Aww, Mr. Sheffield, that's very sweet of you to say." She replied, relishing in him calling her Fran. She was looking at his lips, reliving them actually saying the word Fran when before she knew it, she felt those warm, soft lips on hers. This time, however, it lasted longer than any of their previous kisses that evening. Longer, deeper, and 8127450920060942 with a passionate flair she certainly was not expecting from the man she'd come to know as reserved and subdued. After a few minutes, Fran finally let their lips part.

"Mr. Sheffield," she said, gazing so far into his glistening eyes. "This was such a beautiful evening." They shared another few pecks, and continued to smile at each other, each smile saying more than words ever could. "You know, I think I know where I'd like to go now." She said, smiling a grin he knew could only mean one thing.

Neither of them remembered getting into the elevator at the hotel, or getting out of it and into his suite for that matter. They had one thing and one thing only on their minds at that time.

Laying Fran down on the bed and kissing her all over, Max suddenly felt a rush of consciousness. Only this time was different than all the other times he'd stopped himself from making a move. This time, he wasn't scared. He finally felt free enough to leave caution to the wind, and pursue the desires he'd been holding back for quite some time now. He was madly in love with her, and nothing anyone could say or do would change his mind. This was it. He simply wasn't going to let himself think about the risks or potential problems they could face anymore. He knew he wanted her, and finally, tonight, he was going to have her.

It wasn't long, however before his thoughts were jolted by a loud knocking and a beckoning voice at the door. "Mr. Sheffield, this is hotel security. We need to speak to you immediately."

Max opened his eyes like a spring that had been coiled tightly. He looked over at Fran sleeping on the far side of the very large bed, and the events of the evening came back to him. "Yes, just a moment." He said in a bit of an annoyed tone. This wasn't the way he wanted to wake up from that dream. He scrambled off the still made bed he'd passed out on when they returned to their room.

Fran stirred on the other side of the bed. "Gracie, go back to sleep, honey. You're insecurities will still be there in the morning, we can talk about it then Angel." She too was still fully dressed on top of the covers, in the exact same position she'd passed out in.

"Miss Fine, you need to wake up," he said, going over to the side of the bed she was on. "Hotel security is here, and they need to speak to me."

Fran opened her eyes and then got herself off the bed also. "Oh my God, what's happening?" she asked with a bit of panic in her voice. "And what happened tonight?" she said more to herself. She slowly started to remember how she had laid down on the bed to relax for a few minutes while Mr. Sheffield was in the bathroom. She had just come to the conclusion that nothing had happened between them when she felt Mr. Sheffield's touch.

Max took Fran's hand. "Now now, I'm sure everything's alright, let's not panic until we know what they want." She nodded, and he let go of her to go answer the door. When he opened it, he was a little taken aback to see two armed security guards and two very armed Parisian police officers. "Good evening gentleman, what's going on?" he asked, with a bit of that same panic in his voice now.

"Monsieur Sheffield, sir. There have been some suspicious threats in the hotel a few buildings down, so we are evacuating the surrounding area." One of the police officers boomed.

Fran immediately grabbed Max's side and held on tightly. "Well, yes of course. We'll get out as soon as we can," he rubbed his forehead for a second.

"Sir, we were informed that you flew here on a private aircraft, is that correct?" the other officer spoke this time.

"Yes, officer, I did." He nodded. "I landed this morning for an important business deal."

"Due to the circumstances of this situation, Monsieur Sheffield, we are asking anyone who has the means to leave the city privately to do so immediately." He said in a tone that indicated the seriousness of situation.

"Oh my God," Fran said again, feeling more panicked. "I have to call the kids," she let go of Mr. Sheffield and ran over to the phone by the bed. She stopped abruptly however when she heard the police officer's voice once again.

"Madame Sheffield, I have to ask you to refrain from picking up the phone." He continued. Fran instantly swiveled around when he called her Mrs. Sheffield. She was going to correct him, but that would have been rude, she rationalized with herself. Realizing she was still holding the phone, Fran put it down and grabbed onto her boss once again when the guard spoke again.

"We are requiring you to exercise the utmost discretion with this matter. It is imperative that you do not speak to anyone until you have landed safely back in the United States." He spoke with a tone that now had both Fran and Max shaking a little bit. "At this time, we cannot confirm what type of threat it is exactly; therefore we must take every precaution possible to protect the citizens of our city."

"Yes, officer. We completely understand." Max nodded, putting his hand on Fran's. "We'll gather our things and leave as soon as possible."

"We thank you for your cooperation in this important matter, sir." He gave a military style nod. And as abruptly as their presence began, the four men disappeared once again.

"Mr. Sheffield," Fran held on to him even tighter. "What is going on? Do you think we're in danger?" Even she could hear the fear in her own voice. "And did you _see _his guns?" she added.

"I'm sure it's just a precaution, Miss Fine." He replied. "They are always going to be armed. You have to remember, they have them for our safety too."

"I hope they will always be armed, since their arms are attached." She said lightly. "Meanwhile, when I was looking at his guns, it wasn't really my _safety_ I was thinking about," she added, jokingly. It was her way of calming herself down, even though it wasn't really working.

Noticing this, Max did his best to comfort her. "Now we shouldn't worry ourselves too much." He motioned to their bags over by the dresser. The good thing was, neither of them had really unpacked much. "Let's just pack up the last of our things and head for the jet, alright?" The truth was, he was as terrified as she was. But he knew he needed to be strong for her, so he put on a brave face.

"Oh, how can we _not _worry ourselves?!" she said, half whining. "We're being asked to leave the city as soon as possible, for some secretive, unknown problem and that _doesn't_ make you worry?" Fran thought for a moment, and then gasped. "You don't think they found out about my mother trying to eat that fake chicken from the Julia Child museum, do you?" Fran shook her head, knowing she wasn't thinking straight.

"Miss Fine," Mr. Sheffield said, as they zipped up their bags. "Of course I'm worried, but that won't do us any good right now. We need to just focus on getting home, and then everything will be just fine." He hugged her, and let her linger for a few moments.

"Okay." She said, still very scared as they parted and walked out of the door and towards the elevator.

The hotel was very calm, even though they could see all the armed men standing in strategic places around the surrounding rooms. In the car to the airport, they sat silently, holding hands and watching out the windows for some sort of answer as to why they were being sent out like that.

Once they were in the air, both Fran and Max felt slightly calmer. The plane ride went smoothly, and they were able to catch a French newscast explaining that some bomb threats had been called into a handful of Paris's finest hotels that morning. Thankfully, they all had turned to be false alarms. Even with that, in what felt like minutes since the knock on the suite door in Paris, they were walking in the door to the mansion.

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Just wanted to say thanks everyone for reading and reviewing, I really enjoy the feedback! :)


	15. Chapter 15: Intentions and Interruptions

Neither of them said a word as they walked in the house. To their surprise, no one was in sight. Not even Niles, pretending to dust something. "Where is everyone?" Fran asked, as they set their bags down.

"Niles!" Mr. Sheffield called out.

"Kids!" Fran yelled out right after. "That's weird, can there really be no one home?" she asked as they took their coats off. "I really wanted to hug and kiss the kids. It was so scary not being able to talk to them, I really need to see them." Fran sat down on the stairs, feeling very worried all over again.

"Well, it appears that way." he replied. "Miss Fine, shouldn't you know where they are?" he asked.

"Uhh," Fran stalled. "Well, of course I didn't just leave without making sure they were taken care of, what kind of a professional do you think I am?" she asked, standing up. "Wait, don't answer that." She said quickly after.

Max smiled. "I see. So who watched the children when you came to Paris to see me?" he asked, very nonchalantly. He knew he'd get a rise out of her with that statement.

"Don't worry, Ma was – HEH?" she turned her head very sharply towards him standing at the stair railing.

"Miss Fine," he said, taking her hands in his. "I knew you didn't come all the way to Paris to shop as soon as I saw you in this dress." He slowly looked her up, and then down, still holding her hands. He finally settled back on her eyes. "I can't tell you how glad I was to see you waiting outside my door at the hotel."

"Well, why don't you give it the ole college try?" she asked, with a bit of a joking tone. Fran meant it seriously though. She knew this could be her shot to finally get him to profess his intentions, once and for all.

Max laughed. "I was really missing you." He gazed into her soft, beautiful brown eyes. "And going through what we did at the hotel made me realize that I couldn't bear the thought of not coming home to you had, God forbid, something happened before I was able to get out of the city."

Fran almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he truly confessing his feelings, as she had hoped and dreamed he would do for what felt like forever now? And to think, all it took was two emergency flights to Paris and some mysterious security threats. "Oh, Mr. Sheffield," she finally said out loud. She was about to do something else when she heard three voices come through the door behind her.

"Daddy!" Grace bounced over to him when she saw him. "We were so worried about you!" She proclaimed as she threw her arms around him and he reciprocated, letting go of Fran.

"We heard about the bomb threats in Paris and rushed right home." Maggie added. "It must have been so scary," she shook her head in disbelief looking at Fran.

"Oh, it's okay kids, we're totally fine," Fran said, giving Maggie a hug. "The French police did a very good job of getting people out of the buildings calmly and safely. And thankfully, all the threats turned out to be false." She finished. She snuck a glimpse at Mr. Sheffield, who was looking back at her with the same expression his face had before the kids came through the door.

"Now, don't you kids want to run along and visit Grandma Yetta at the home?" Fran suggested, holding on to what small shred of a chance she had at privacy with Mr. Sheffield to finish their conversation.

"Fran," Brighton piped up. "We just came back from visiting her with your parents. We've seen enough fanny packs and false teeth to last us a very long time." He shuddered a little as he mentioned the false teeth.

Fran laughed, giving him a side hug. She truly was relieved they were all home safely, even if it meant she lost her opportunity for that conversation with Mr. Sheffield. "Oh B. I'm glad you're home. It felt so strange coming home to an empty house." She commented.

"And just once, could I get so lucky to be home alone?" Brighton joked.

"Come on, twerp." Maggie teased. "Let's go to the kitchen. You can make me a sandwich, and then I'll go upstairs and call Kip. And then, you'll be all alone in the kitchen." Maggie chuckled to herself as Brighton rolled his eyes and followed her.

"Where is Niles?" Max asked, as Fran took Grace's coat and hung it up.

"Well, he either went to eat a lot of cereal, or visit the exotic bird exhibit at the museum," Grace replied.

Max looked at his daughter with a very confused look. "Grace, sweetheart," he knelt down to her level. "I know I am very jet lagged, but did you just say he's gone to eat a lot of cereal?"

"Yeah," she shrugged. "When Sylvia got here after Fran left for Paris, he said something about going to see the toucan. So, he must mean the one on the cereal box."

Max let out a sigh. "If it's possible, I'm even more confused now." He said, looking at Fran. "Does this make any sense to you?" he asked, thinking it might be part of some of her unusual teachings.

"You know, to be honest, I'd love the chance to talk to Mr. Froot Loops myself," Fran said, joking.

Max put his head down for a second, and then looked back up at his youngest child. "Sweetheart, are you sure that's what he said? Did he leave me a note, or anything that could be a logical explanation for all this?"

Grace shrugged. "I don't know, but you could try calling Miss Babcock. He said she was going to be there too."

Max and Fran looked at each other as the light bulb went off in Fran's head. "Wait a minute, doesn't Miss Babcock's mother live in Tucson?!" Fran gasped. "Not Toucan, Tuscon! He went to see Miss Babcock!" she actually jumped up and down for a moment, before realizing just how tired she was. "Oh," she said aloud, realizing how much her head hurt when she did that.

Max, on the other hand had a different view on the latest turn of events. "This day just keeps getting more bizarre. And it's also getting longer, for that matter." He added. He rubbed his face with his hands. Getting a glimpse of the time on his watch, Max let out a very tired sigh. "I'm exhausted, and it's going to take a while for me to catch up to this time change again. I need to get some shut eye." He turned to Grace. "Sweetheart, I think it's time for you to go to bed also."

Grace nodded. "Okay, Daddy." She turned to her nanny. "Fran, can you read me a story tonight?" she asked, with her impossibly cute, impossible to refuse face.

Fran sighed. "Sure, Angel. But can it be a short one? I'm really beat too, and I need to get in my beauty rest." She replied, wiping some hair from Grace's face.

"Fine by me," the little girl agreed. "I'm just scared that if I go to bed thinking about all the things we saw visiting Grandma Yetta, I'll start having nightmares." She said, with a furrowed brow.

Fran chuckled, putting an arm around Gracie. "Sweetie, welcome to my world. Here I am, twenty nine, and I'm still having Fine family nightmares!" she joked. "Why don't you head up and pick out something to read, and I'll meet you up there in a few minutes."

"Okay." Grace hugged her, and then her father. "Goodnight Daddy, I love you."

"Sweet dreams, Gracie. Love you too." He replied, as she bounced up the stairs. He couldn't help but watch her as she disappeared into the hallway at the top of the stairs. When she was gone, his gaze turned back to Fran. He took a step forward, so they were barely inches between them. "You don't really need that beauty rest." he grinned, as they slowly leaned closer and closer to each other.

"Ooh, Mr. Sheffield," Fran said, slightly surprised by his very forward sounding statement. She knew he didn't mean it that way, but she played along anyway. "I thought you said you were exhausted, are you sure you want to..?" she trailed off on purpose, giving him a little wink.

He put his head down, and let out a little chuckle. "What I meant to say, is that you don't need that sleep to be beautiful." He raised his hand to stroke her cheek just as he had done in Paris by the river. When he stopped, they leaned their foreheads together.

Fran truly wasn't sure what to say. There were still so many questions left to answer. It was obvious now that he did indeed want her like she wanted him, but was he ready to commit? Would things be different now that they were home surrounded by the kids, and the rest of their busy lives and out of the automatically romantic, dream like atmosphere of Paris? She felt very content, however with the progress they had made through their time in the most romantic city in the world. She was satisfied, and had no intentions of finding the answers to her remaining questions that night. Well, except for one. **(Chapter 15: Intentions and Interruptions)**


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